Added 3 cluster descriptions

mission/cluster_backbone.md

+---
+title: HIFIS Backbone Cluster
+layout: default
+excerpt:
+    Overview of HIFIS Backbone Cluster.
+---
+
+## Backbone Services
+
+The German Research Network (DFN) connects universities and research institutions and is integrated into the European and worldwide network of research and science networks. The Helmholtz Association's centres are directly connected to the DFN mainly with speeds between > 1 Gbit/s and < 10 Gbit/s, a good third with speeds of ≥ 10 Gbit/s (as of April 2018). A comparison with research communities and the associated networks for research and education (NRENs) in other countries shows that high-performance networking of the large labs in some NRENs has already been identified as strategic for research in recent years and high bandwidths have been established. At the same time, however, it also becomes clear that the Helmholtz Centres are in a comparatively good starting position with regard to connectivity for the establishment of a Helmholtz backbone.
+
+A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can be used efficiently to establish trust between the participating centres. In addition to cross-location intranets, VP networks can also be used for inter-institutional data backup, for example, in which a limited number of communication partners with a high volume of data are connected via high-availability networks. In the XWiN network of DFN, there are already several VPNs connected, to which experience and basics can be tied.
+
+Against this background, the objectives of this work package are to provide a stable network infrastructure and jointly usable core services in order to meet the increasing demand for networking of research and the increasing volume of data in the Helmholtz Association (keyword "data treasure"). Thus, the network of the individual Helmholtz Centres is to be networked on the basis of a high bandwidth with mutual trust and increased overall security. It comprises a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that includes all centres and a guaranteed level of quality. In particular, the network should enable the cross-centre use of scientific instruments and platforms and provide central basic services necessary for collaborative work. These basic services include, above all, uniform Identity & Access Management (IAM). The physical network and the basic services together form the prerequisites and foundation for a large number of higher-value services such as cloud services.
+
+
+## Partners
+* DESY (cluster coordinator)
+* AWI
+* DKFZ
+* FZJ
+* HMGU
+* HZDR
+* KIT

mission/cluster_cloud.md

+---
+title: HIFIS Cloud Cluster
+layout: default
+excerpt:
+    Overview of HIFIS Cloud Cluster.
+---
+
+## Cloud Services
+
+Science is increasingly relying on cloud services. The European network organisation GEANT (see https://www.geant.org/About) surveyed the national research and education networks (NRENs) for the year 2016 and found that between 50% and 60% of the NRENs surveyed by GEANT offer cloud services. Cloud services are ideally suited for the joint, cross-centre and cross-community processing of research tasks and for broad subsequent use. It is important that they are scalable, that the technical and legal requirements for use are met and that simple and high-performance access is guaranteed. At the same time, the decision to use such services requires that important criteria (ranging from service quality, IT security criteria and data protection to procedures for terminating the use of a cloud service) are taken into account and evaluated. Users will only (be able to) trust and use a federated cloud platform and the services offered therein if service design and service quality are transparent and the operational stability offered meets today's social requirements for mobility as well as location- and time-independent use.
+
+The specific aim of this component is to provide a federated cloud platform for services that are offered to the entire scientific community and partners in the long tail of science - not just selected large-scale projects. It thus complements the federal support services for large-scale projects created, for example, in the HDF or in pilot projects, both in breadth (support for projects of all sizes) and depth (focusing on the software and service level) and provides other platform topics with an access level for the services arising there.
+
+The Federation primarily consists of existing heterogeneous solutions of the different centres (providers) and, where possible and reasonable, establishes a "meta-level" over these, e.g. a common access. Priority is given to the use of already existing services, own developments are only exceptionally intended for solutions that are neither available in the Helmholtz Association nor on the IT market and are at the same time urgently needed for scientific work. The Federation will be gradually expanded to include innovative solutions.
+
+In order to simplify the use of services from different providers for the centres and the researchers and to ensure with the help of guidelines that the framework conditions applicable to the Helmholtz Centres are adhered to, HIFIS creates organisational and legal prerequisites.
+
+In particular, technologies for access, harmonization, integration and provisioning of the services integrated into the cloud network will be developed and made available. The competence cluster thus creates the organisational and technical framework to open up a broad portfolio of services to all users of the Helmholtz Association and beyond through self-organisation. The connection to international developments (e.g. EOSC at European level) is regarded as essential and the "FAIR" principles in particular must be taken into account.
+
+
+
+
+## Partners
+* HZB (cluster coordinator)
+* AWI
+* DESY
+* DKFZ
+* FZJ
+* HMGU
+* KIT

mission/cluster_software.md

+---
+title: HIFIS Software Cluster
+layout: default
+excerpt:
+    Overview of HIFIS Software Cluster.
+---
+## Detailed information
+
+For detailed information and news on [HIFIS Software, click here!](https://software.hifis.net)
+
+## Software Services
+
+Software is an essential basis for the modern research process. It lays the foundation for the long-term, stable operation of research infrastructures, at the same time represents a major driver of innovation and contributes significantly to the acquisition of knowledge and the creation of value. After all, software itself is an important result of the research process. It is therefore not surprising that the Helmholtz Centres use and develop a wide variety of software. The spectrum ranges from a few lines of code for special tasks, to scripts for data preparation and small software tools, to extensive, complex program packages. This diversity is also expressed in the variety of programming languages, technologies and environments used.
+
+The variety and especially the handling of scientific software vary strongly by research area, community or center and currently depend primarily on the importance for the own scientific added value and on the marketing prospects. Software is rarely regarded as an independent research product and there is hardly any sustainable use of it. This endangers the traceability and reproducibility of research results (Howinson 2016).
+
+However, concrete practical offers and platforms to enable researchers to implement them are often lacking in the German research landscape or are very differently developed in the centres.
+
+The aim of the "Software Services" cluster is therefore to support the Helmholtz Centres in the sustainable use of research software through practical offerings and services. Specifically, the work package addresses the following aspects in a sustainable manner:
+
+* Researchers should be trained and supported to enable them to develop and publish high-quality, sustainable software.
+* A technological infrastructure for the planning, development, quality assurance, publication and findability of research software should be made permanently available to researchers.
+* The re-use of existing software by researchers is to be improved by providing tools for finding suitable software solutions, by arranging contact persons and know-how carriers, and by providing support in setting up communities for concrete research software.
+
+
+
+
+
+## Partners
+* HZDR (cluster coordinator)
+* GFZ
+* DKFZ
+* DLR 
+* UFZ